Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-25

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

Some people claim that not enough of the waste from homes is recycled. They say that the only way to increase recycling is for governments to make it a legal requirement.

To what extent do you think laws are needed to make people recycle more of their waste?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Student answer (Band 5.0)

Recycling is a cyclic process in which waste material can be converted into useful materials. Recycling help factories to get raw material economically. It controls pollution, because if waste is converted into useful material then pollution will decrease. Individuals will give preference to recycle the waste instead of throwing it into the garbage, which controls the pollution.

Some people claim that not enough of the waste is recycled. Because some individuals keep heaps of waste in front of sun to convert it into synthetic manure which is used as urea to increase the annual yield. While, some wastes are not beneficial for recycling due to which people avoid recycling. For example, the waste material of poultry is used to make feed for the hens, and the procedure to convert waste into feed releases poisonous gases. This feed is used as a food for hens which in return causes multiple issues when these hens are eaten by humans.

But government should make strict policies and laws for recycling waste materials. Because, individuals let waste into open air to convert it into manure as mentioned earlier, so, government should ban these types of activities because its the reason of air pollution. Also, government should take action against the recycling of poultry waste which releases poisonous gases. But, to increase recycling is for governments to make it a legal requirement to control pollution.

Hence, recycling is necessary procedure but if it is done by legal process by the government to reduce the ecological effects.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response addresses the prompt but lacks depth in its argumentation. While you acknowledge the need for government intervention, the development of ideas is inconsistent. For instance, the discussion regarding poultry waste is somewhat tangential and does not clearly link back to the core argument of whether recycling should be a legal requirement. The position is clear, but the supporting points are under-developed and occasionally confusing, such as the claim that recycling poultry waste releases poisonous gases. To improve, ensure that every paragraph directly supports your stance on the necessity of legal mandates for recycling rather than focusing on specific, niche examples of waste management.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organised into paragraphs, but the logical progression between ideas is weak. Transitions are often mechanical or misused, such as starting a sentence with 'But' or 'While' in a way that does not effectively connect to the previous thought. The referencing is sometimes unclear, particularly in the second paragraph where the link between poultry waste and the broader topic of mandatory recycling is tenuous. To improve, use a wider range of cohesive devices (e.g., 'consequently', 'furthermore', 'in contrast') and ensure that each paragraph has a clear topic sentence that guides the reader through your argument.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for basic communication but lacks the precision and variety expected for higher bands. You rely on repetitive phrasing, such as 'waste material' and 'useful material'. There are also issues with word choice and collocation, such as 'let waste into open air' instead of 'dispose of waste in the open' and 'cyclic process' which is not the most natural term for recycling. To achieve a higher score, focus on using more sophisticated vocabulary related to environmental policy and avoid repeating the same nouns and verbs throughout the text.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Common issues include subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'Recycling help factories') and incorrect article usage (e.g., 'in front of sun'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with the use of commas. While the meaning is generally understandable, the frequency of these errors prevents the writing from reaching a higher band. Focus on proofreading for basic grammatical accuracy, specifically ensuring that verbs agree with their subjects and that articles are used correctly with nouns.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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